These Truths We Keep Hidden
by DragonFire44
Summary: Elizabeth and facing something she once did 3,000 years ago.


Disclaimer: I do not own.

I only recently got into this anime.

Contains Magna spoilers. For those who do not read the Magna.

The Seven Deadly Sins

These Truths We Keep Hidden

Chandler grinned toothily as he gripped his cane more firmly, malicious glee overtaking his face. He held out his cane, debating which move to use when a soft, yet firm voice interrupted his musing.

"Why are you doing this?"

Chandler's mouth fell into a light frown before a glare took over his features, "a filthy Goddess such as you shouldn't need to ask that. You already know."

Elizabeth couldn't help the tightness of her throat as she eyed the short, green haired demon. She stood firm however, despite the fear bubbling under her skin, close to bursting. She hadn't been this scared when Estarossa had her at Heaven's Theater. But then she had thought she had known him; known him as Estarossa. Had sensed that he wouldn't truly harm her.

Chandler was different. He had tried to kill her before, but the Sins had been with her then. Now... now she was all alone. And he was on a whole other level then her.

She sucked in a breath, willing her voice not to waver; to portray her fear, "I don't know what you mean."

A light wind rustled bringing a fresh of cool air over her heated body. Chandler had arrived at Heaven's Theater and snatched her before she could so much as blink. She had been so focused on Sariel posses King to aid Gowther in whatever plan the pink haired doll had concocted. In that one moment she had gone from Heaven's Theater to a grassy field. Several trees and small bushes littered the area, but it was otherwise desolate.

Chandler hummed, "a liar too. I know that you remember."

Elizabeth felt her pulse quicken, her heart felt like it would burst with anxiety that just doubled. She shook her head, her eyes nearly betraying her with tears.

If Chandler felt himself of a lower standing then his, he would have scoffed at her attempt to deny. Still, her trying to pretend was rather vexing. What would it do to her to admit it aloud?

"It's all because of you that things are the way they are. That they _happened_ the way they did."

Elizabeth swallowed tightly at the charge. She wanted to shake her head rapidly, as she clutched her hands before her chest. She felt the first stings of tears and bit her lip, refusing to allow them to shed.

Chandler grinned maliciously as a tear trailed down a pale cheek as he took a step closer to the wench.

Elizabeth's breath caught, and forgetting for a brief moment her will to remain strong and firm she took a step back. Her lone tear had given her up anyway.

"It's because of you that he _suffers."_ Chandler bit out, his tone chilling.

Words escaped her, how could someone who looked so elderly be so terrifying?

"You _changed_ him." The words persisted, no matter how much she willed the short demon to stop.

"I-" Elizabeth stuttered, having to pause to swallow the tight lump in her throat.

"I love him." She whispered.

Chandler couldn't hold in the growl at those vile words, "I'm the one that loves Lord Meliodas!" he shouted, starting to feel vexed.

Elizabeth mustered up the best glare she could as she snapped with conviction, "I do love him! I do!"

Chandler gripped his cane, desiring it to be her neck, "you _love_ what you made."

A stilted gasp echoed and she slowly shook her head, "that's not true." She tried to say with certainty, but the words came out shaky, in a whisper.

"He only loves _you_ because you _changed_ him. " Chandler uttered, his words carving the knife ever deeper.

Elizabeth felt her eyes clench shut, the liquid threatening to burst forth lake a rapid waterfall as she took a stumbling step back as if she could out move the cruel words.

"That's not true!" The words shouted forth, the yell sounding loud to her ears. But she paid that little heed as the tears cascaded down.

Chandler stretched out his free hand, a wicked grin staining his elderly face, "oh, but it is true." He gripped her left arm and gave her a violent jerk nearly causing her to lose her balance. He brought his face to hers, watching as she leaned back as much as she could.

"Admit it you wench." His breath huffing across her face, and he was rewarded with a cringe.

Over the gasping breath of the Goddess a voice cut in, disrupting his fun and eventual kill.

"Chandler," the indifferent tone held a warning and Chandler slowly let go of the filthy Goddess's arm, taking a step back.

"We were merely talking," Chandler stated, it was true. He just omitted to the fact that he was going to kill her after their talk.

"You took her from Heavens Theater."

Elizabeth took that moment to stumble several paces away from the green haired demon, her face easing as she took in the interrupter, "Meliodas!" Her voice carried her utter relief, though she worried at his being here.

Black eyes, like ink glanced to her for a moment, before settling back onto his once teacher. Movement from behind Meliodas caught her attention and a breath of air escaped, but the words died as Meliodas spoke, "why did you take her Chandler?"

"Well," Chandler started and Elizabeth found her eyes straying back to the form behind Meliodas and felt a surging wave of elation rise. Sir Ban was here! And with Meliodas here, then that must mean that his emotions had been returned!

Meliodas dropped from the air, onto healthy grass, his arms crossing across his chest. He had arrived to Heavens Theater to see the defeat of Mael by King and Gowther. (and Sariel, who had apparently caused King's wings to become fully grown. Though he hadn't taken the time to study them in the slightest.) His only interest had been to chase after Chandler and Elizabeth.

He felt a sigh wish to escape at Chandler's absurd notion of retrieving her for him, knowing full well that his once teacher was against her presence.

"Enough," his words carrying authority. That always worked.

"Tell me the truth."

Chandler lowered his arms from the air, having been waving them in vague gestures as he spoke.

"She changed you," Chandler stoutly stated.

Melidoa's titled his head to the side nearly sparing Elizabeth a glance when she made a soft indistinct noise.

"I'm aware," he stated, indifferent. It was because of Elizabeth that he had seen things in a better light.

Chandler huffed, "no, I mean she actually changed you."

Melidoas's eyes narrowed at the elderly looking demon, hearing Ban shift slightly behind him.

"Look old man," Ban huffed out only to cut off at the loud growl that escaped the short demon.

"Goddess can purify demons," Chandler snapped, his hand gripping his cane so tightly he had a vague worry of damaging it.

Ban tilted his head, his red eyes narrow. "So?"

Elizabeth parted her mouth, her hand reaching out in a vain attempt to attract attention, her voice breathing nothing but empty air.

Scoffing Chandler sent a scathing glare to the immortal, "some Goddess can purify a demon's darkness, but they can't change them forcefully if the demon doesn't want to be changed. And no demon wants to." His mouth threatened to stretch into a vicious grin at the stuttered breath from the filthy Goddess, "being purified means dying. Light is the opposite of darkness. To be exposed to such light, is painful and damaging. The force of the change leads to death."

Ban frowned minutely, while Meliodas studied Chandler with an indifferent frown.

"Meliodas," Elizabeth called, her voice finally functioning. She took a step towards the blond, her mouth parted as black eyes darted to her. He merely eyed her for a breath before inclining his head at Chandler, to signal for him to keep talking.

Her hand dropped swiftly, a swirl of emotion weighing her down as Chandler continued, looking victorious.

"But one Goddess could invoke a change without necessarily killing the demon, after all possessing strong and unrivaled healing saw to that."

Meliodas felt a twinge of unease hit him, though his face remained blank.

"What do you imply?" Meliodas demanded.

Chandler's eyes shifted to Elizabeth, who stood wide eye, with tear tracks gracing her cheeks. Meliodas felt his hearts skip a beat and he snapped his attention back to the other demon.

"Don't you recall when you first met her, Lord Meliodas?" Chandler inquired with a respectful tone.

Meliodas gripped tighter to his arms, his eyes narrowed.

The air had been thick with death. He remembered gazing up into orange eyes - Goddess eyes, though the white wings had been a giveaway. Little white feathers had fluttered in the wind. The silver hair had flowed gently with the swaying of the light breeze.

He had frozen even as she descended to the ground before him, barely a few spaces away.

Her voice was like a bell, it carried a melodious lift.

She had spoken, and all the other demons had left. Left, like it was normal to flee a fight.

She regarded him carefully, yet no judgment had shown on her fair features.

"Why do you kill other's?" The curiosity and genuine tone had intrigued him. After all, what kind of question was that?

The answer had been obvious, "it's war. If I don't kill them, then they will try to kill me."

She had merely pondered his words in silence, not giving away what she thought of his answer.

"Aren't you tired of this endless war?" Her voice was soft, firm yet held such imploring that Meliodas was caught at the strangeness.

It was a bizarre thing to ask. The war between the Demons and Goddess and been going on long before he had ever been born. He had been bred for war. And while he didn't enjoy the endless (foolish) fighting, it was his duty to fight, to lead.

"What about peace?"

The soft inquire threw him. And then gentle hands framed the sides of his face, and he felt a chill at having allowed her to get this close to him. What was wrong with him?

"Do you think peace is possible between our clans?"

Her words were confusing. His furrowed brow must of given her a hint to his befuddlement for she leaned her head forward, her eyes staring straight into his.

"No more pointless war, pointless death. Being able to live in harmony with all the races. That is peace."

Well now he felt insulted, he _knew_ what the word peace means.

He raised his hands to her wrists intending to remove her from him, when a soft smile graced her face, practically blindsiding him with such an expression.

"Do you think it is possible?" She quietly asked again.

He blinked at her with a tight frown. "No," It would never be possible. Beings craved the need to fight. To kill. And many were greedy, and so long as greed existed, it just wasn't possible.

Something clenched in his chest at the disappointed look on her face. He tightened his grip on her wrists in the motion of flinging her hands off his face when a searing jolt slammed into him. HIs breath catching, his hearts racing and dawning realization hit him.

 _She's a Goddess._

The pain seemed to stretch forever. He had never felt such agony before. It was as if his entire being was trying to be unmade.

He didn't know how long it was before he was opening his eyes, a clear blue sky greeting him. He was completely thrown. He realized he was on the ground and slowly rose. A light noise and his full attention snapped to _her._

Her eyes were down cast, her slightly slumped posture indicated she felt remorse for trying to kill him.

He paused. Kill?

Why hadn't she killed him?

He was so lost in his turbulent thoughts that her soft words nearly caused him to jump.

"You're eyes are green."

He blinked a few times in bewilderment and was quick to asses that she was right. Why had he deactivated... or had she...

"Why didn't you kill me?"

Her head titled as if his words were strange, her hands gently clasped in front of her.

"You're eyes."

His hands fisted, "because they're green?" He growled.

She shook her head, "during..." she trailed off as if she didn't think he knew what she had been doing to him.

He nodded, feeling a rise of utter frustration, just wanting her to spit it out.

"During," she repeated, the words to say what she _had_ been doing seemed to escape her, "your eyes opened. And I saw such _softness_ , I knew that you felt the pointless, the _tiredness_ of this war just as I have."

A moment passed, "and if you feel it, if you see how pointless it is to fight, then why can't we work to ensure peace?"

Meliodas growled, "I told you," he snapped, "peace is impossible!"

"Has anyone ever tried? Has anyone ever tried to understand one another?"

Her soft questions stilled him. It _sounded_ absurd. And yet...

"You didn't kill me when I first landed," She parted with.

His mouth tightened. _Why hadn't he?_

"If we could just learn to understand one another, then peace should be possible."

Meliodas could only stare at her softly smiling features. A part of him believing in that _possibility._

Meliodas shook himself as he brought himself back to the present.

"What of it?"

Chandler gave a tilt of his head, as if he _should_ of understood. Should of pieced together whatever it is Chandler was hinting at.

"She can _compel_ beings. She can compel demons to leave."

Ban scoffed, "what does that have to do with purifying?"

"Lord Meliodas, you _feel_ as you do because she forcefully changed you."

Ban's eyes went wide at that, his eyes darting to Elizabeth, who looked as if she couldn't breathe.

Meliodas glared darkly at Chandler, "You _dare_ suggest she-"

"I do!" Chandler snapped, cutting his words off, and so shocked that _Chandler_ of all beings would interrupt him; stilled him.

He thought back to the agonizing pain, and how he had woken to find himself on the ground, alive. His eyes green.

His eyes darted to Elizabeth. Suddenly worried at her silence.

"Go ahead and ask her," Chandler cooed. The mockery in his words rankled at him. And he rounded on Chandler, "and how do you _know_ what happened when I first met her?"

Chandler merely stared him down, unimpressed by his display of anger, "Gowther."

He said it so simply that it threw him.

When could Gowther have possibly...

Gowther had _had_ the opportunity. Plenty of times...

It couldn't be true...

He stared unseeing at the grass, his hearts racing in a way that made him feel ill. _She_ wouldn't have...

And yet, they hadn't known each other then. Why _wouldn't_ she?

His eyes darted up almost frantically, "is - is it true?" If he had been feeling less like he was suffocating he would have balked at the stuttering.

Her eyes wouldn't meet his and his breath felt tighter and less. And why was it so hard to breathe!?

"Cap." The calm, stern word, cutting thru his swirling thoughts, as a firm, solid hand landed on his shoulder, anchoring him.

He took a shuddering breath, so unbelievably grateful for Ban's presence.

"Princess?" Ban queried quietly.

Hands held tightly to her chest, her gaze fixed to the ground, she spoke haltingly, "it was my mission."

Meliodas was certain a part of him died right there.

"The Supreme Deity, my mother." She paused, collecting herself. "She knew you were to be the next king. If we couldn't kill you, then _changing_ you..." She trailed off, she didn't really need to finish for them to understand.

Chandler butted in then, making her jump, "this wench had this planned from the start. You're _love_ is fictional!"

Elizabeth gasped, her eyes shooting up to glare and refute those words, only to settle on the devastated expression on Meliodas's face. And her heart squeezed and her eyes glistened, and she practically screamed, "that's not true!"

All eyes were on her heaving form, but all she could see was that horrible look on the person she loved more than her own life. She couldn't bare that expression, couldn't _bare_ that she was the cause of it.

"Meliodas! I **do** love you!" She faltered at the sneering glower from Chandler who had shuffled into her line of sight, as if to impede her from saying her _truth._ "That has never been false! And I didn't _make_ or _compel_ you to love me!"

She could feel the liquid rain down her face, no longer caring to hold back her tears. "It's true I - I _did_ try to forcefully change you! It was my mission! But I - I couldn't go thru with it. The second I saw your green eyes, I saw the truth! I knew you were a caring being. Because anyone who could hold such emotion - such softness, couldn't be evil."

She gasped then, her eyes staring at the blank face - that blank mask that had formed on Meliodas's face. She hated that look, she knew he was thinking about their curse. About a curse that might have been completely pointless. That he might have _suffered_ over a _lie._ "And as you know, I grew up hearing and thinking that Demons were monsters, that they killed without remorse and were evil. And that the only way to save them was to purify them. But I saw in your eyes, none of that. And so I healed you. And I decided to get to know you. And we did. We learned about each other, and eventually I grew to love you."

She stared him in the eyes, evenly, "none of that is fake. None of it was forced from me. And I didn't make you feel anything."

She swallowed then and said much more softly, "would I have asked you to break this curse if I didn't love you? Wouldn't I have been fine with you suffering for eternity?"

Meliodas clenched his eyes shut, grateful for the anchor Ban was providing. A part of him knowing deep down that had Ban not been here, he would not have been able to think or figure out his true feelings about Elizabeth's words. Would not have been able to handle the betrayal he had felt. And the consequence would have been catastrophic. Since the 5 commandments he had absorbed...

"Don't listen to her lies!" Chandler all but roared.

"Leave, Chandler." Meliodas snapped. His tone carrying a threat. "I've heard enough from you."

Chandler knowing when to retreat was quick to do so. His frustration etched onto his face. He had been so close! But that filthy wench had been able to trick his young Master once again!

Ban let his hand fall away once Chandler was gone from sight. And stepped away, out of ear shot.

"Elizabeth," Meliodas uttered softly.

Hearing the tone, Elizabeth rushed forward and embraced him, her hands sliding into soft strands of blond hair. She felt him press his face into her chest, his arms coming up to wrap around her waist.

"I believe you."

Her heartache lessened at the assurance in his tone. Her tears flowed anew.

~ End

Since Chandler is so obsessed with Meliodas, this spawned.

Also when Chandler said Gowther he is referring to the original Gowther.


End file.
